Information Panel: Bonus Army

Bonus Army protesters clash with police, July 28, 1932

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

In May 1932, jobless veterans organized a group called the "Bonus Expeditionary Forces" that marched on Washington, DC, to demand an advance on a bonus payment they had been promised for their World War I service. Led by Walter W. Walters, the veterans set up camps and occupied buildings in various locations in Washington, DC. The largest camp was a shantytown here on the Anacostia Flats, across the river from Washington's Navy Yard. By summer, at least 20,000 people had joined the camps. When a bill to give the veterans their payment early failed in Congress, many of the protesters moved on, but many also stayed, so President Hoover sent in the army - led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur - to push them out on July 28. The camp was still inhabited by about 10,000 people, who were driven off by the cavalry with tanks and tear gas while infantry set fire to the shanties. DC's hospitals were overwhelmed with the wounded. Deemed an operational success for the army, the political fallout was a disaster for President Hoover, who lost his re-election bid later that year.